


III. Fascinating Child

by BubblyWashingMachine



Series: Every Little Hurt Counts [febuwhump 2021] [3]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canonical Child Abuse, FebuWhump2021, Febuwhump, Gen, Imprisonment, POV Luther Hargreeves, Protective Luther Hargreeves, Unethical Experimentation, characters treated like lab rats, except like worse, febuwhumpday3, they are all very young children in this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-14 17:20:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29174802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BubblyWashingMachine/pseuds/BubblyWashingMachine
Summary: 00.01 rubs absently at the skin around his neck – it’s always weird to feel it bare. But the relief that flows through his muscles when his powers return, flooding him with strength, is welcomed.There is a drawback though, 00.01 thinks to himself, as 00.05 gets his collar removed and immediately starts wildly bounding around the room in flashes of blue light. In check-up time, everyone tends to get a little excited, and when they get excited, they are uncontrollable and loud, trying to show off their powers in the small one-hour window where they don’t have the collars on....An exploration of an alternate universe where things are just a tiny bit worse for the Hargreeves children.
Relationships: Allison Hargreeves & Luther Hargreeves, Luther Hargreeves & Everyone, Luther Hargreeves & Reginald Hargreeves, Number Five | The Boy & Vanya Hargreeves
Series: Every Little Hurt Counts [febuwhump 2021] [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2137428
Comments: 22
Kudos: 88





	III. Fascinating Child

**Author's Note:**

> Hello again! Here for your daily dose of pain? Well, too bad; this one is not very whumpy, sorry, lmao. I promise tomorrow is actually real whump, it's really violent and graphic actually! I mean 'imprisonment' can be interpreted many ways but 'impaling'? pretty straight forward
> 
> Important notes:
> 
> \- This is an AU, duh. they're also REALLY young. idk how young, you'll just have to feel it, but i'm thinking five or six  
> \- There is another fic that has a similar premise and themes to this one, which is 'The Miracle Seven' by UnrememberedSkies. I don't know how to do those cool link things so here is the URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20940848  
> \- I did not write this with the intention of copying that fic, i also haven't re-read it in a really long time so idk how similar it is BUT i DO remember that that fic freakin' SLAPS and you should totally read it!! sorry if this is really similar, all i remember about that fic is the premise, and that i really liked it. outsider POVs are so great to read, i love them. The reason i'm mentioning it here, other than to rec it, is so that people don't get mad at me. good vibes only here  
> \- if you're the kind of person who likes having a soundtrack for a fic, like background music, then please listen to the song 'The Experiment' by Cristobal Tapia De Veer. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEOKtuWITek
> 
> Enjoy!

“There you are,” Grace says sweetly, smiling as she removes the electronic collar with a _click_ and putting it down on the tray.

“Thank you,” 00.01 says politely, even as 00.02 eagerly shoves him out of the way, saying;

“Me next!”

“Like always,” Grace laughs, and crouches down so she can use the little metal key to take the collar off him next. Beside 00.02, 00.03 waits impatiently, tapping her foot. 00.01 rubs absently at the skin around his neck – it’s always weird to feel it bare. But the relief that flows through his muscles when his powers return, flooding him with strength, is welcomed.

There is a drawback, though, 00.01 thinks to himself as 00.05 gets his collar removed and immediately starts wildly bounding around the room in flashes of blue light. In check-up time, everyone tends to get a little excited, and when they get excited, they are uncontrollable and loud, trying to show off their powers in the small one-hour window where they don’t have the collars on.

00.01 knows it’s his job to make sure his siblings stay on their best behaviour. That’s what Sir says – he’s the strongest, so he has to look after them the most.

So when it’s time for their daily check-up, after Grace has said goodbye and gone, as they wait in nervous anticipation for Sir to arrive, he makes sure he shushes them and keeps them in line just like he’s supposed to. They all have their own little plastic chair with their number on it, and if you sit in the wrong one, you get in big trouble. Because he’s the strongest, 00.01’s is first in the line, which means he only has to sit next to 00.02, but 00.02 always kicks his legs which is really annoying.

And if you talk out of turn, or use your powers when you’re not told to, you get in even bigger trouble, so 00.01 really has his work cut out for him.

“Stop shushing me,” 00.04 says grumpily, pouting, and 00.01 rolls his eyes.

“Stop being noisy then.”

“I’m not noisy!”

“Yes you _are,_ ” 00.03 says, matter-of-fact.

00.04 waves a hand in 00.07’s direction, disbelieving. “Seven’s noisy! I’m _chatty_.”

“I am not _noisy_!” 00.07 denies hotly, and stamps her foot, sending 00.04 crashing into the wall in a wave of light, and then _everyone_ starts arguing.

“Ow, no _fair_!”

“Seemed fair to me,” 00.05 chimes in, and 00.03 laughs sharply.

00.07 is unremorseful, and shrugs. “Oops.”

“Sir s-sa-says y-you’re not allowed to u-use your p-powers on us,” 00.02 scowls, crossing him arms.

“Everybody be quiet,” 00.01 pleads, but none of them pay him any mind. 00.06, who is the only one who hates getting in trouble even more than 00.01 does, only watches quietly with his thumb in his mouth, even though Sir says he shouldn’t do that. On the wall next to the door, there is a large mirror, and 00.01 looks imploringly at his own face reflected back, because no one is _listening_ to him!

“Sir’s not here,” 00.07 says, correctly. “Anyway, it was an accident.”

“He will be soon, so shut up,” 00.01 says loudly. Since the check-up room isn’t like their rooms, as in, the walls are not see-through, they can’t see when Sir is approaching like they usually can, so it sometimes feels like he could be sneaking up on them at any time.

00.04 puts his hands on his hips, cross. “Was not! Three, make her say sorry!”

“No, don’t!” 00.07 whines shrilly.

“Seven, _say sorry_ ,” 00.03 says anyway, always a bit smug about using her power in the brief moments when the collars are off, and 00.07 rolls her eyes but says she’s sorry anyway, unable to resist.

“Thank you!” 00.04 croons happily, and 00.07 puts her hands on her hips, very annoyed, and they start arguing again.

When 00.01 lets out a loud groan of irritation, 00.05 sends him a look. “They’re just messing around.”

“Well it’s not funny!” They’re going to get punished _again_.

00.03 tilts her head. “It was a little bit funny.”

00.01 looks at her, frustrated. She’s supposed to be on his side! “Three, come on!” She does look a _bit_ sorry.

They kill time a bit more, stretching and practically vibrating with nervous energy. “I’m going to go even further today,” 00.05 boasts, sounding certain. “I can feel it.”

00.02 laughs. “Oh, yeah? What m-m-makes you s-so sure, genius?”

“Didn’t you hear? He can _feel_ it,” 00.07 says in a mocking voice, giggling, even when 00.05 shoves her over. She uses her light to sweep him onto his bum on the ground next to her, and 00.04 cackles in the background.

“Guys, stop,” 00.01 tries.

“ _Ven_!” Although 00.05 tries to glare at 00.07, there’s no anger in his face, and he eventually starts laughing too, a rare sound, and the two play-wrestle half-heartedly until they get bored.

Suddenly, 00.07 freezes, holds up her hand, and everyone flinches back. She doesn’t send out her light though, just shushes them, and 00.01 feels a bit annoyed. Of course they all listen to _her_ but never 00.01. “He’s coming,” she says in a hushed voice, and all the kids scramble back into their chairs, except 00.01 and 00.06, who never left them.

“That’s what I’ve been saying,” he huffs, but they all ignore him as usual.

Eventually he can hear the sound of footsteps outside the door, and smooths his hands nervously over the weird, smooth blue gown they have to wear for check-ups instead of their normal white clothes. He doesn’t like the gown because it doesn’t really close in the back properly, so the plastic of the chair is cold against his bottom, but they’re all used to it.

Beside him, 00.02 swings his legs, and 00.01 tries not reach over and whack him.

The door slides open quietly, and Sir steps in, wearing his white coat and gloves like always. 00.01 feels relieved to see him, even as the man slowly turns his head to look over them all, calculating. 00.01 twitches and hopes they’re not in trouble. Sir always seems to know when they misbehave, even when he’s not there – 00.03 says seeing everything must be his power.

“Stand,” Sir says sharply, and they all hurry to do so, not wanting to be the last left sitting.

00.01 cringes at the feeling of the cool air against his bottom, but holds his head high because Sir hates when they have bad posture. Plus, he always has to go first.

“00.01, step forward,” Sir says in his usual bored voice, and he does. He holds still, very good and patiently, while Sir sticks the little sticky dot things on the sides of 00.01’s head, and gets a nod of approval.

He goes through his usual things that they all do – the weighing, the prodding, the inside of his mouth, the light in his eyes and the funny stick in his ear, all while Sir scribbles things down in his notepad. And the questions:

“Do you feel discomfort here?”

00.01 shakes his head for no.

“And here?”

No.

The question section is always the shortest. Then is the worst part.

“I am inserting the needle,” Sir says, and 00.01 is never quite sure who he’s talking to. But he closes his eyes and stays stoic and strong while his arm pinches in pain. “Done,” Sir says, and pulls it out, and 00.01 puts a plaster on it.

Lastly his most nerve-wracking part comes – the weight-lifting.

The first one is easy, and he lifts it with barely any effort.

The second one is bigger, and heavier, but he does it.

He has to strain for the last one, and it’s an awkward big block to hold up, and it’s heavier than the one yesterday for sure. But still, just like every day, 00.01 picks up the block and holds it above his head until Sir tells him to put it down, and he gets to sit back in his chair, pretending he’s not breathing heavily.

“Next,” Sir says, and that means it’s 00.02’s turn. 00.02 is deathly afraid of the needle, but that doesn’t mean he gets out of doing it every day, even though he once threw up and always looks like he’s considering doing it again. But _he_ gets to throw knives at a target, sometimes while he’s not even facing it.

He gets the bullseye two out of three times, and Sir tuts disapproving and 00.02’s face flushes a dark, embarrassed red. He scowls as he drops down onto his chair.

For 00.03’s turn, a stranger is brought into the room. Every day it is someone different – 00.01 has never seen the same person twice. Today it is an old man, dressed in very dirty clothes. He looks out of place in the check-up room, with its shiny white walls and floors, and he also looks confused.

“Kids?” he mutters, confused, looking around and blinking in the bright lights.

“Specimen Point-Zero-Three will now demonstrate her ability,” Sir says expectantly, holding out a card with one word on it, and 00.03 steps eagerly forward with her hands clasped behind her back.

“ _Sing_ ,” she reads out loud to the man, which is a new word, and after his eyes cloud over, he awkwardly yodels out some warbling notes. 00.01 sends 00.04 and 00.02 a disapproving looks when they start to giggle. Sir switches the card, this one with more words. “ _Spin around four times_.”

The man, who looks a bit panicked, starts spinning around in circles, four times. Sir makes an interested noise and makes a note – 00.03 sends 00.01 a proud, wide grin, and he smiles back while the man stumbles, dizzy.

Finally it’s the last card. “ _Have a heart attack,”_ 00.03 reads easily, and then looks at Sir, confused, while the man starts making funny noises and falls over. “What’s a heart attack?”

“It’s when you fall in love,” 00.04 sighs, and 00.06 frowns and says;

“You mean heartache!”

00.05 puffs out his chest like he always does when he knows something. “Idiots. A heart attack is when your heart stops working.”

“Oh. Is he going to be okay?” 00.03 asks curiously as Grace breezes in and escorts the gasping old man away, the door sliding shut behind him. Sir doesn’t answer, writing furiously in his book. “Sir?”

“Yes, yes,” he says distractedly.

“His heart did stop working,” 00.07 whispers to them. “I heard it stop, for sure.”

“Gross,” 00.04 says, pulling a face.

“It’s just science,” 00.05 huffs, and 00.07 nods emphatically.

“I h-h-ha-hate s-science,” 00.02 declares, and 00.01 puts his hand over his face.

“You can’t hate science,” 00.05 argues hotly. “It doesn’t work like that.”

“Well I d-d-do!”

“Number Four,” Sir interrupts. “Step forward.”

00.04 sighs and shuffles forward, slouching. “I don’t want to see the people today,” he mutters out of turn while he’s being weighed and prodded.

“You only have one, very simple task,” Sir says, stepping back when the first part of the check-up is done. “You remember the man who came in just before?”

“Yes,” 00.04 says enthusiastically. “Dirty, smelly old man.”

“Indeed. I need you to bring him here,” Sir says strictly. “Think about what he looked and sounded like, concentrate, and summon him.”

“Oh,” 00.04 says, surprised, and squeezes his eyes shut, straining.

They wait, until 00.04 cracks an eye open and gasps.

“Is he here?” Sir asks impatiently.

“Yes, he is here – stop yelling mister, it’s rude – he’s here and he’s _very_ angry at you,” 00.04 says, laughing at something 00.01 can’t see. Then he steps back, afraid, but there isn’t even anything there. “He says you’re a _fu_ —”

“That’s enough!” Sir booms, and 00.04 shrinks back down.

00.01 wonders if the man is still there, invisible to everyone but 00.04, and why. Sir never likes to explain things like why the invisible people are there, but he reckons it must have something to do with the man’s heart. He looks at the floor, slightly jealous. Sometimes his own power doesn’t feel very exciting compared to the others’.

The rest of the daily check-up goes like usual. 00.05 zips around the room to reach different markers on the ground set far apart, 00.06 lets the monster out and hits some targets – he never does great, he always hits the wrong ones. He says he can’t control it, but Sir says he just isn’t trying, and Sir _is_ always right – and then 00.06 makes a chair float, smashes a glass, and tries to hit a target with her light beams. It misses by a long shot, and leaves a huge black mark across the wall, but she spins around and looks so pleased with herself anyway that 00.01 gives her a big proud smile while the others cheer.

“This marks the end of the demonstration. Bring in the collars,” Sir says, which means they’re finished for today. 00.01 is relieved – it felt like that thing with the man took up ages.

Grace wheels the tray back in with their collars and clothes, smiling softly, and says to Sir under her breath, “Results have improved since yesterday’s diagnostics. The committee will be very impressed.”

Sir only grunts in response, and leaves without saying goodbye or saying well done. But that’s normal, really, and 00.01 shouldn’t feel as disappointed as he does. He’s a big boy, and the strongest one of his siblings, and he has to look after them – he can’t feel disappointed!

The collar _clicks_ around his neck, smooth and cold, and he shivers as the always-weird feeling of weakness and vulnerability weighs down his limbs. Grace pets him on the head – behind her, 00.02 glowers at him enviously – and says, “Good job today, Number One. Why don’t you put your nice warm clothes back on before dinner?” It’s not the same. 00.01 wants to hear Sir say it, not her.

“Yes,” 00.01 says stiffly, holding his head up. He has to be a good example.

Tugging Grace away, 00.02 bounces up and down and says, “Me next!”

“Like always,” Grace laughs easily. “Settle down, now.”

“Sorry,” 00.02 says immediately, bashful, and 00.01, pulling on his soft white clothes, wishes the other boy would listen to _him_ as well as he does for Grace.

When they all have their collars and clothes back on, Grace leads them in single file back down the long white hallway, to the end door, which leads to the glass rooms where he and his siblings get to live. 00.01 gets to walk in front, but he can hear the others chatting behind him, and frowns. They really should be better behaved.

“Here you are, One,” Grace says when they reach 00.01’s door, which says ’ **00.01** ’ on it in big numbers. “Say bye to your siblings now. Remember dinner is in one hour, so I’ll see you then.” He nods, and turns to wave goodbye to the others.

“See ya, One,” 00.03 says cheerfully.

00.05 salutes him sarcastically, and 00.06 smiles and says, “Bye One.”

“Hurry up,” 00.02 grumbles, and Grace laughs, and shuts the glass door with a soft _thunk_ noise, presses her thumb to the pad on the side, and waits until it makes the loud _BZZT_ noise that means it won’t open again until she comes to let him out for dinner.

Since the walls are see-through 00.01 always gets to watch the rest of the group shuffle down the hallway in single file, going into their rooms one-by-one. His room shares a wall with 00.02’s – unfortunately. But if he presses up against the wall and looks down the line, he can see every small room, stretching out one after the other. He can see 00.02 face-down on the bed, 00.03 laying gracefully across her floor to read, 00.04 starfished out, 00.05 and 00.06 tapping on the glass between their rooms to each other in their secret code, and 00.07 laying on her back, also reading.

00.01 shakes out his limbs, stretching and yawning, and flops down on his small bed to relax until Grace comes to get them, the familiar weight of metal and plastic around his neck emitting a comforting humming sound in the silence of his room.

Just then, before he reaches over to grab his textbook, he sees out of the corner of his eye 00.03 waving for his attention.

He sits up, beaming and waving back. He likes that they’re not so far apart, with just 00.02 separating them.

00.03 moves her hands around, making shapes in the air deliberately. _See. You. At. Dinner,_ she signs carefully, grinning, and 00.01 agrees, nodding with vigour and pressing one hand up against the glass. She mirrors the action. Eventually, 00.03 turns away though, and goes back to reading.

00.01 picks up the textbook too, and sighs. Academics are not his favourite. But he does want to make Sir -- and whoever the Committee is – proud.

Hopefully tomorrow, he will do even better in the check-up. Maybe, he hopes privately, if he does, Sir might even say he did a good job. Tomorrow.

So, with that hope in mind, Specimen Point-Zero-One happily settles in to do some reading before dinner, listening to the quiet hum of his collar and the bright white lights above him, until the thumping of his pulse eventually slows to match it.


End file.
